Private Bus Impounded In Connecticut Amid Probe Into Deadly Queens Hit-Run
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A private bus has been impounded in Connecticut to see if it is the same one involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed an elderly woman in Queens.
It happened at the intersection of Main Street and Kissena Boulevard around 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Investigators said the driver of a private bus struck an 84-year-old woman as she was walking across Main Street outside of the crosswalk. The bus operator never stopped, police said.
At first, other drivers did not even realize there was a body in the middle of the street, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.
"I stopped right there, right next to it because it looked very dangerous and then I see that it was a person," said witness Redha Ageeff. "I couldn't believe cars were actually trying to go over the body. It's incredible."
NYPD investigators headed Connecticut to look at the impounded bus, which is operated by Skyliner Tours, and bring it back to New York. It was stopped by Connecticut State Police about 40 miles from Foxwoods Resort Casino, 1010 WINS' Roger Stern reported.
Skyliner was scheduled to have a Foxwoods bus passing through the area where the woman was hit around the time of the accident, Stern reported.
Police sources said the driver of the Skyliner bus is being questioned, but hasn't been charged with a crime, CBS2's Dick Brennan reported.
At the scene Friday, many pedestrians said they were alarmed by what happened, but admit jaywalking in the area is common.
"It's just so congested over here, a lot of the time cars are just zooming down," community activist Sherell Jordan told Burrell.
"This is one of the busiest areas in New York City, so it's not uncommon for that to happen," one resident said.
"In this area, it's always like this, there's so many people" another man said. "It's a main drop-off."
Mayor Bill de Blasio said it's been a tough week in New York City.
"Eight New Yorkers lost in crashes, and it's a reminder of why Vision Zero is here to begin with," the mayor said. "Because the people we're losing are our parents, our grandparents, our children."
City leaders said this is the third pedestrian killed by a bus just this week alone.
Police are hoping video from NYPD surveillance cameras will give some clues as to what happened in the moments leading up to the collision.
Police said it's unclear whether the driver even realized someone was hit. They are asking anyone who may have witnessed the accident to come forward.
A spokesperson from the Skyliner bus company said that they are cooperating with police in the investigation.
